BUSINESS COMMENT
2
COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
Publisher’s Notebook
Matt Winters • October 2021
Pace of change puts a premium on local control
Little did I realize when studying regional economics in college 40 years
ago that it would become a lifelong fascination. Although my math
abilities fell short of pursuing an advanced degree, I still care very much
about the simple realities of how entire communities fi t together to create
prosperity.
As a long time observer of the ways in which local people make money,
feed our families and keep roofs over our heads, the past 30 years
have seemed a time of transformation mixed with occasional spells of
near-stagnation. Economies all undergo times of turmoil as diff erent
industries rise and fall, as populations grow and change, and as factors
like government policies interfere or encourage diff erent activities.
Changes have been piling up for those who live around the mouth of
the Columbia. Technology transformed forestry. Dams, mismanagement
and deteriorating ocean conditions decimated fi sheries. Tourism and
retirement living gradually expanded to become major and nearly year-
round sources of local income.
And then the pandemic came along, accelerating changes that might
otherwise have taken another decade or more to play out. Suddenly, some
non-urban settings like ours are viable places to work remotely. Tourism
has set record after record as people have sought out nostalgic family
fun. Even some traditional industries have been doing alright, such as
wood products benefi ting from a surge in prices and home building.
Our amazing scenery, deep history and other advantages — like a lively
arts scene and delicious food — are uncommon assets not shared by
many rural places. Together, they ensure certain kinds of success. But
at the same time, our increasing popularity is driving up housing costs.
Other counter-currents for the economy include a relatively small
workforce, many who fi nd it increasingly diffi cult to aff ord a place to
live.
Those who already own homes here get some satisfaction from seeing
prices rise, but this is tempered by concern about property taxes and the
ways in which younger family members have paths to home ownership
blocked. I’ve watched Clatsop County prices climb from $539,000
this April to $721,000 in September. Meanwhile, average home selling
prices in south Pacifi c County only hit about $400,000 late this summer,
but that’s more than double what they were at the start of the pandemic.
Some local communities are close to no longer being places where many
actual local people can aff ord to live. Just one example: the 11 Cannon
Beach houses that sold in September went for an average of more than
$1.6 million.
Employers in all our towns have to compete for workers who have to
pay higher rents and take longer commutes — at a time when gasoline
prices are around $4 a gallon.
Communities and individuals don’t have to passively sit back and be
carried by economic currents. But steering our own boats takes skill and
awareness. There’s a wise old saying that the best time to plant a tree
was 20 years ago, and the second best time is today. By the same token,
instead of regretting economic decisions we didn’t get around to making
20 years ago, now is the time to get busy on setting the stage for what our
region will be like a generation from now.
This is the time to make smarter zoning decisions that ensure an adequate
supply of attainable workforce housing within convenient reach of jobs.
Now is the time to lay the groundwork for the roads, bridges, broadband
and other infrastructure that we’ll need to avoid crippling levels of
congestion. Safe and aff ordable child care isn’t a luxury, it’s a critical
necessity for our families and our economy.
We won’t get any of these things by just wishing for them. We must
advocate for ourselves and make sure that tax, spending and planning
policies all align with our future needs. We can get ahead of the
juggernaut of change, but only if we take charge of today.
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